First pick
Arche de la Nature
Park or garden
495 ha63.7 km of path
14 h 10 minto walk all 63.7 km of path
2.6 km westfrom the center
Chemin de l'Épau au Gué-PerréChemin aux BœufsChemin aux Boeufs+3 paths
Directionsto a point inside
Photo: Stephvvv alias OldLion · CC BY-SA 3.033%woodland
Outdoors in Changé · protected areas, woods and footpaths
Almost every home in Changé is within 800 m of a park or wood
33% of Changé is mapped woodland. Changé has 35 km of waymarked hiking routes. No protected area reaches Changé; the nearest, Vallée du Narais, forêt de Bercé et ruisseau du Dinan (Natura 2000), is 5.6 km from the town center. France has no Outdoors Grade yet: these are the figures, each beside the compared towns’ median.
Protected areas
0%
of the commune’s land
Nearest: Vallée du Narais, forêt de Bercé et ruisseau du Dinan, 5.6 km
Woodland
33%
of the land, mapped on OpenStreetMap
Compared town: 13%
Footpaths
53 km
1.5 km per km²
Compared town: 1.7 km per km²
Hiking routes
35 km
waymarked, GR and others
Compared town: 0.3 km per km²
Parks & woods
5
named, in or within 400 m of the commune
First: Arche de la Nature
Throughout this page, the Sarthe median and the France median are the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade), each figure its own median.
What kind of place
What kind of outdoors place is Changé?
Read from the data: what stands out first, good and less good.
A wooded commune33% mapped woodland, more than in 80% of compared French towns, against 13% for the median compared town.On waymarked routes35 km of GR and other hiking routes cross the commune.Protected land nearbyVallée du Narais, forêt de Bercé et ruisseau du Dinan (Natura 2000) is 5.6 km from the town center.
What sets Changé apart: its woods, then its hiking routes.
Against French towns
How Changé compares with French towns
Each figure against the 3,798 compared French towns (communes with an overall grade): the marked bar is the town’s, the line the median. Described, not graded.
Protected areas0%Share of the land in a national park, regional nature park, nature reserve or Natura 2000 site
22out of 100
Woodland33%Share of the land mapped as forest or woods on OpenStreetMap
80out of 100
Footpaths1.5 km per km²Km of mapped footpath and track open on foot, per km² of the commune
46out of 100
Hiking routes1 km per km²Km of waymarked hiking routes (GR and others), per km² of the commune
83out of 100
Percentiles among compared French towns; ties count half.
Towns its size
Changé has the 16th most footpaths per km² of 41 towns its size
The 40 compared French towns nearest in population (6,835 to 6,988 residents), by km of footpath per km². Hover for each one’s protected land and woods; click for its page.
From Jacou (10.3 km per km²) to Le Controis-en-Sologne (0.2 km per km²).
Every town in the comparison
| Town | Paths (km/km²) | Woodland | Protected | Coast | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jacou Hérault | 10.3 | 16% | 0% | 13 km |
| 2 | Noyelles-sous-Lens Pas-de-Calais | 5 | 10% | 0% | 77 km |
| 3 | Bailly-Romainvilliers Seine-et-Marne | 4.6 | 10% | 0% | 169 km |
| 4 | Lésigny Seine-et-Marne | 4.2 | 42% | 0% | 171 km |
| 5 | Domène Isère | 3.8 | 24% | 0% | 202 km |
| 6 | Lutterbach Haut-Rhin | 3.7 | 43% | 12% | 442 km |
| 7 | Cognin Savoie | 3.6 | 16% | 44% | 234 km |
| 8 | Castries Hérault | 3.6 | 9.3% | 0.1% | 14 km |
| 9 | Luisant Eure-et-Loir | 3.4 | 11% | 6.4% | 139 km |
| 10 | Carnoux-en-Provence Bouches-du-Rhône | 3.4 | 31% | 0% | 5 km |
| 11 | Fontaines-sur-Saône Rhône | 3 | 14% | 0% | 259 km |
| 12 | Étréchy Essonne | 2.8 | 29% | 0% | 170 km |
| 13 | Escalquens Haute-Garonne | 2.5 | 1.9% | 0% | 134 km |
| 14 | Houdain Pas-de-Calais | 1.7 | 7% | 0% | 60 km |
| 15 | Auvers-sur-Oise Val-d'Oise | 1.7 | 19% | 100% | 122 km |
| 16 | Changé Sarthe | 1.5 | 33% | 0% | 142 km |
| 17 | Acigné Ille-et-Vilaine | 1.4 | 11% | 0% | 52 km |
| 18 | Le Coteau Loire | 1.4 | 0% | 0% | 274 km |
| 19 | Bourbourg Nord | 1.4 | 0.3% | 0% | 6.1 km |
| 20 | Laudun-l'Ardoise Gard | 1.3 | 19% | 2.1% | 73 km |
| 21 | Saint-Pol-de-Léon Finistère | 1.2 | 2% | 4% | On it |
| 22 | Saint-Maurice-l'Exil Isère | 1.2 | 11% | 5.4% | 211 km |
| 23 | Morteau Doubs | 1.2 | 28% | 100% | 371 km |
| 24 | Trans-en-Provence Var | 1.1 | 26% | 0% | 23 km |
| 25 | Plédran Côtes-d'Armor | 1.1 | 8.8% | 0% | 6.7 km |
| 26 | Surgères Charente-Maritime | 0.9 | 5% | 0% | 24 km |
| 27 | Bétheny Marne | 0.7 | 0% | 0% | 198 km |
| 28 | Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure Rhône | 0.7 | 4.8% | 0% | 249 km |
| 29 | Veigné Indre-et-Loire | 0.7 | 35% | 0% | 179 km |
| 30 | Les Abrets en Dauphiné Isère | 0.7 | 17% | 0% | 238 km |
| 31 | Sénas Bouches-du-Rhône | 0.6 | 2.8% | 100% | 36 km |
| 32 | Marsillargues Hérault | 0.6 | 0.5% | 32% | 13 km |
| 33 | Valognes Manche | 0.5 | 4.7% | 0% | 12 km |
| 34 | Montluel Ain | 0.5 | 27% | 35% | 267 km |
| 35 | La Plaine-des-Palmistes Réunion | 0.5 | 64% | 100% | 14 km |
| 36 | Lucciana Haute-Corse | 0.4 | 4.8% | 3% | On it |
| 37 | Loudun Vienne | 0.3 | 6.4% | 0% | 122 km |
| 38 | Essarts-en-Bocage Vendée | 0.3 | 4.1% | 0% | 46 km |
| 39 | Beaufort-en-Anjou Maine-et-Loire | 0.3 | 12% | 100% | 141 km |
| 40 | Cadaujac Gironde | 0.2 | 14% | 45% | 29 km |
| 41 | Le Controis-en-Sologne Loir-et-Cher | 0.2 | 24% | 6.7% | 229 km |
The map
Parks, woods, footpaths & countryside
Tap a number to zoom to a park or wood. Tap a layer to hide it. The dashed line is the commune’s boundary.
Green: parks, gardens and woods mapped on OpenStreetMap, named or not.© OpenStreetMap contributors · INPN / PatriNat · IGN
Places to walk
Parks and woods to walk in, in and around Changé
Named parks, gardens and woods in the commune or within 400 m, the biggest and best-pathed first: Arche de la Nature leads, at 495 ha. Directions go to a point inside.
Bois de la Buzardière
Wood or forest
87 ha3.4 km of path
45 minto walk all 3.4 km of path
4.9 km eastfrom the center
Chemin du Rond de la Vierge à Parigné l'ÉvêqueChemin de Champagné à Parigné l'ÉvêqueChemin du Rond de Corneloup à Changé
Directionsto a point inside
Bois du Gué Perré
Wood or forest · 120 m outside the commune
43 ha3 km of path
40 minto walk all 3 km of path
2.5 km north-westfrom the center
Chemin de l'Épau au Gué-Perré
Directionsto a point inside
Plaine de jeux François Mitterrand
Park or garden
4 ha1.2 km of path
15 minto walk all 1.2 km of path
Centralin the middle of Changé
Directionsto a point inside
Arboretum (Arche de la Nature)
Wood or forest · 320 m outside the commune
2.2 ha0.3 km of path
2.3 km north-westfrom the center
Directionsto a point inside
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL): named parks, gardens and woods; sizes are the whole site.
Protected areas
Vallée du Narais, forêt de Bercé et ruisseau du Dinan is the nearest protected area, 5.6 km away
The protected areas reaching the commune, and the nearest: national parks, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites.
Natura 2000 site
Vallée du Narais, forêt de Bercé et ruisseau du Dinan
5.6 km from the town center
Share of the commune’s land
Any protected area0%
Designations overlap (a regional park can hold a Natura 2000 site), so the rows don’t add up; the first counts each piece of land once.
Source: INPN / PatriNat, protected areas July 2026, Natura 2000 December 2024; shares of IGN’s commune boundary.
Footpaths and woods
53 km of footpaths and 35 km of hiking routes cross Changé
Paths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, and waymarked hiking routes, mapped on OpenStreetMap inside the commune; woods are mapped forest and woodland, private woods included.
Footpaths
53 km
1.5 km per km²
Hiking routes
35 km
waymarked: 1 km per km²
Woodland
33%
about 11.8 km² of mapped woods
Km per km² of the commune · mapped on OpenStreetMap
ChangéSarthe medianFrance median
Footpaths1.5
Hiking routes1
012 km per km²
Share of the land · mapped woods and forest
ChangéSarthe medianFrance median
Woodland33%
0%50%100%
That is less than in 54% of compared French towns for footpaths per km², and for woodland more than in 80% of compared French towns. Hiking routes often follow paths and lanes already counted, so the two lengths overlap: don’t add them. Every home in Changé is within 800 m of a mapped park or wood, as in most French towns.
15 named hiking routes within 2 km
Other named walk
De la Manche aux Pyrénées 07, Yvré-l'Évêque - Saint-Mars-d'Outillé17 km
Circuit des Rossays17 km
Le tour du Mans11 km
Parcours rando forêt9.4 km
Circuit des Brosses9.2 km
Circuit jaune9.1 km
Parcours rando bocage7.4 km
Circuit bleu7.3 km
Circuit Bleu6.7 km
Circuit autour du Bois Clos6.4 km
Parcours rando rivière5.3 km
Circuit rouge3.7 km
+3 more
Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), extracts of October 25, 2026 (Geofabrik).
When to get out
The best walking months in Changé: April to September
Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at Le Mans, 8 km away, and the daylight at the town’s latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 15 to 30 °C and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.8 | 10.2 | 11.7 | 13.6 | 15.1 | 16.0 | 15.7 | 14.3 | 12.5 | 10.7 | 9.2 | 8.4 |
| High (°C) | 8 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 22 | 17 | 12 | 9 |
| Rain (mm) | 66 | 49 | 52 | 51 | 63 | 55 | 49 | 49 | 51 | 66 | 67 | 75 |
August is the driest month (49 mm) and July the warmest (highs of 26 °C). 75 mm of rain falls in December, the wettest month. Frost comes on about 40 nights a year. The climate in Changé →
Neighbors
Next to Changé
The nearest towns of 2,500 or more, colored by the share of their land in protected areas.
Yvré-l'ÉvêqueRuaudinChampagnéLe MansSargé-lès-le-MansParigné-l'ÉvêqueChangé
Under 1%1–10 %10–25 %25–50 %50 %+
| Town | Protected | Woodland | Paths (km/km²) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Changé | 0% | 33% | 1.5 |
| Yvré-l'Évêque 4,181 · 4.3 km | 0% | 26% | 2.2 |
| Ruaudin 3,481 · 4.6 km | 0% | 34% | 0.9 |
| Champagné 3,666 · 5.4 km | 3.5% | 40% | 0.7 |
| Le Mans 146,249 · 6.5 km | 0% | 6.6% | 5.5 |
| Sargé-lès-le-Mans 3,851 · 6.9 km | 0% | 11% | 1.6 |
| Parigné-l'Évêque 5,358 · 7.2 km | 19% | 49% | 0.5 |
Parigné-l'Évêque has at least twice as much protected land.
How to read these numbers
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Protected areas. National-park cores, national parks’ outer areas, regional nature parks, nature reserves and Natura 2000 sites, from INPN. A national park’s core is strictly protected; its outer area and a regional park are charters between communes, not bans. Designations overlap, so the total counts each piece of land once.
- Woodland. Forest and woods as OpenStreetMap maps them, private woods included: woods nobody has mapped are missing, and a mapped wood isn’t necessarily open to walkers.
- Footpaths and hiking routes. Footpaths, bridleways, steps and tracks open on foot, then waymarked hiking routes (GR and others) measured apart. A route often follows a path or lane already counted: the two overlap. Paths nobody has mapped are missing.
- Green space nearby. The share of residents (INSEE’s 200 m grid) within 800 m, as the crow flies, of a mapped park, garden or wood edge. It measures nearness, not a way in. Guadeloupe and French Guiana have no grid: their pages say whether the town center is within 800 m.
- The coast. The straight-line distance from the town center to OpenStreetMap’s coastline, which follows the tide line into estuaries. A commune is on the coast when the coastline crosses its boundary.
- No grade yet. U.S. and UK towns have an Outdoors Grade; French towns don’t yet. Each figure is set beside the median of compared communes (those with an overall grade) in the département and in France, each figure its own median.
Questions about the outdoors in Changé
Is Changé in a national or regional nature park?
No. The nearest protected area is Vallée du Narais, forêt de Bercé et ruisseau du Dinan, 5.6 km from the town center.
Are there good walks in Changé?
OpenStreetMap maps 53 km of footpaths and tracks open on foot in the commune, 1.5 km per km² (the median compared town: 1.7 km per km²); 35 km of waymarked hiking routes cross it.
How much of Changé is woodland?
33% of the commune is mapped woodland, private woods included; the median compared French town has 13%.
Is Changé near the sea?
No: the coast is 142 km from the town center, as the crow flies.
When is the best time for walking in Changé?
April to September: long days, mild highs and little rain, from Météo-France’s 1991–2020 normals at the nearest suitable station.
Why is there no Outdoors Grade for French towns?
TownRatings grades the outdoors in the U.S. and the UK; the French figures are new and not graded yet. This page sets each one beside the median compared French town instead.
Sources: INPN / PatriNat (protected areas 2026, Natura 2000 2024) · © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (paths, hiking routes, woods, coast, gardens) · INSEE, Filosofi 2021 200 m grid (residents) · IGN Admin Express (boundaries) · Météo-France normals 1991–2020 · Medians and percentiles: TownRatings, over compared French towns, updated November 4, 2026. Under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab).
Contains public sector information under the Licence Ouverte / Open Licence 2.0 (Etalab): INSEE, DGFiP, the Interior Ministry’s statistics service (SSMSI), the Ministry of Education (DEPP), the Health Ministry’s statistics service (DREES) and the Housing Ministry (Carte des loyers). Commune boundaries: IGN Admin Express.